1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for successively fusing small particles of cut powder of nonferrous metal such as aluminum or aluminium alloy etc., which are generated when they are subjected to a mechanical process. The resultant molten metal is reutilized in the field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A first example of a prior apparatus for successfully fusing an aluminium cut powder is a molten metal pouring fusing apparatus. According to the molten metal pouring fusing apparatus, a cut powder is first inserted into a pan having a plurality of apertures at the bottom thereof, then the molten metal pumped up by a pump is poured over the pan having the cut powder therein. However, the first prior apparatus has a problem in that when the molten metal pumped up by the pump is poured over the cut powder, the molten metal is likely to come in contact with the atmosphere so that the molten metal is oxidized by the atmosphere which results in a bad yield rate thereof and a low thermal efficiency.
A second example of a prior apparatus for successfully fusing an aluminium cut powder has a burner disposed at one side of a cylindrical rotary furnace, and an exhaust gas outlet at the other end thereof, in which a fusing flux to be melted for the prevention of oxidization is first inserted into the apparatus, then the aluminium cut powder is inserted into the apparatus after the fusing flux to be melted is melted, and finally, the cut powder is melted while it is covered by the molten flux. However, the second example of a prior apparatus has a problem in that since the molten flux is costly, the apparatus is expensive as a whole although there is an advantage that the molten flux and the cut powder can be efficiently stirred by the rotation of the rotary burner with high thermal transmission efficiency.
A third example of a prior apparatus for successfully fusing an aluminium cut powder comprises a tapered swirl generation chamber having openings at an upper and a lower end thereof and a rotary fan provided near the lower end of the swirl generation chamber, in which a swirl stream of a molten metal is first formed in the swirl generation chamber, then a cut powder supplied from an upper portion is swallowed into the swirl stream of the molten metal, and finally the cut powder is melted. However, the third example of the prior apparatus has a problem in that the rotary fan is likely to be damaged since it contacts with the cut powder under high temperatures.
A fourth example of a prior apparatus for successfully fusing an aluminium cut powder comprises a vertical enclosure having a frustoconical inner peripheral surface provided on an upper surface of a molten metal which flows horizontally, and a stirring fan provided at an upper side adjacent to the surface of the molten metal for pushing the cut powder supplied to the vertical enclosure into the molten metal so that the cut powder can be melted. However, the fourth example of a prior apparatus has a problem in that the molten metal is likely to be oxidized by heat received from the molten metal since the aluminium cut powder may be accumulated at a height higher than the surface of the molten metal and kept in the molten metal for a while although there is an advantage that the stirring fan can not be damaged since it does not contact with the high temperature molten metal which results in assuring a long life of the apparatus.